Some officials and analysts in Moscow are sensing an opportunity to bring Georgia to heel through threats of an "antiterrorist operation," one that would masquerade as an emulation of American operations against real havens of international terrorism. Those officials and analysts are beginning to make... MORE

Ukraine's proposed new election law, which would have represented a significant move toward a proportional vote typical of most European democracies, has failed. On the winning side of the September 13 parliamentary session were the centrists, most of whom had been elected from single-seat constituencies.... MORE

On September 16 Ukraine's antipresidential opposition marked the year since the disappearance of journalist Georgy Gongadze with a demonstration and rally. A column of protesters marched along Kyiv's main streets, chanting anti-Kuchma slogans, and unveiled a plaque near the Journalists' Union office with the names... MORE

The Russian print media has continued to devote much ink and many column inches to the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and the impending U.S. response. While both ordinary Russians and officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have expressed... MORE

In the wake of the September 17 rebel attack on the cities of Gudermes and Argun, along with the downing of a military helicopter over Djohar (Grozny), the Chechen capital, the Russian authorities have stepped up security measures throughout the republic. Russian military has blockaded... MORE

Armenian assessments of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit buttress the conclusion that the country's leadership is sliding more deeply into dependency on Russia. Among these assessments, two stand out because they come from major political figures, on opposite sides of the political spectrum, who impart... MORE

Export growth in Kazakhstan has slowed sharply this year after last year's extraordinary 63.4 percent surge in exports. In the first half of 2001, exports were up just 6 percent to US$4.46 billion. The slowdown in export growth this year is due to both supply... MORE

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan enjoyed strong growth in the first half of 2001, largely thanks to their hydrocarbon endowments. Three other CIS countries--Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan--managed to register solid growth in recent months despite a lack of significant petroleum reserves. As a group, all three posted... MORE

The first formal talks between senior Russian and U.S. leaders since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon went raggedly this week, as the two countries appeared to clash anew on the issues of missile defense, arms proliferation and... MORE

Russian regional leaders reacted strongly to the terrorist acts in the United States on September 11, most following the line of the federal authorities in Moscow and denouncing the attacks as a threat not just to the United States but to the entire world. Prominent... MORE